Currently, there are many providers of online imaging services. One such example is the Kodak PhotoNet Online service offered by the Eastman Kodak Company. In such a system, a user must select a photofinishing order option on the film processing envelope that includes the digitization and uploading of the high resolution film images to a secure website where they are stored. Upon receiving and paying for the printed photofinishing order, the user receives a coupon that includes information for accessing the digital images on the website. Subsequently, the user must return to their home and using a computer with a conventional Internet browser must navigate to the website indicated by the coupon. Upon arrival at the website and entry of the supplied information, the user finally is able to view their digital images.
At this point, the user can electronically share their images with third parties. Depending on the skill of the user, they can choose to send digitized images as image file attachments via electronic mail. This entails knowing the electronic address of those third parties which is usually stored and managed by a different software application on the user's computer. Furthermore, image file attachments can cause an electronic mailbox to exceed a predetermined storage capacity especially if the user desires to share several images.
Another method of electronically sharing that attempts to solve the dilemma of sharing several images involves, sending an electronic link embedded in an electronic mail message that when clicked by the receiver, causes the receiving computer to locate and access the website containing the entire digitized order. A problem with this method is that the receiver must have an Internet browser that is compatible with the electronic mail application to automatically launch the internet browser to the site of the digitized images. Furthermore, the receiver must enter information to view the images at the site. Access must also be given for each and every film order processed and uploaded.
If the user desires to retrieve a copy of the digitized image for use on their own computer, they can encounter additional problems. For example, the user must follow several time consuming steps that often incur an additional charge or fee beyond the initial photofinishing order fee, to retrieve the high resolution image file that is stored at the online photoservice provider. In other cases some photoservice providers do not allow the user to download the high resolution image file at all.
Another common service provided by online photoservice providers is the ability for a user to use a computer to upload a digitized image already in the possession of the user such as image files created by a scanner, a digital camera, or a digitized film product such as the PictureCD™ produced by the Eastman Kodak Company. These online photoservice providers store high resolution image files uploaded by users typically for producing printed images. Electronically sharing of these images is similar to those being placed at a website automatically by a photofinisher and similar problems are encountered by a user using such a service. The user must, for example, take the time to upload each and every image that he or she wishes to print or electronically share.
Another disadvantage with prior art systems is that the owner of the image often loses control of the high resolution image as this is typically stored at the service provider. Additionally, it is also undesirable to keep an entire copy of the high resolution images at a service provider as charges are often associated with such storage. In addition if the service provider loses the image it can be very difficult to regain the original high resolution image. It is therefore desirable to be able to restore the high resolution images at the user computer.
In situations where the high resolution images are stored on user computer memory storage devices, such as a hard drive, there exists the possibility of a memory failure with respect to the stored images. Thus, there is also a need to be able to provide a system to assist in reestablishing the high resolution images at the user computer with little or no cost to the user in the event of a failure of a user memory storage device.